Livestock farmers should take search for workers seriously

There did not seem to be much pasture on the land but the sheep had greatly improved their body condition during the one month they had been on the farm.

Stocking farm

Mbuga had called me two months earlier wanting to stock the farm with cattle but I advised him to do Dorper sheep instead due to the scarcity of fodder and the high cost of feeds. ld not readily get pure Dorper and the available ones were above his budget.

I advised Mbuga to buy the Dorper-mix but with a high percentage of the breed appearance.

He would later acquire a pure Dorper ram to upgrade his flock. Upgrading a flock means the original females will remain the same but will be bred with higher quality genetics to have off-springs that are closer to the desired breed.

I have had cases where farmers ask whether it is possible to upgrade an animal that already exists.

My visit to Mbuga’s farm two weeks ago was to review the animals he had bought and start the process of establishing a pure breed Dorper for slaughter and breeding stock.

We agreed that I would prepare a report and recommendations for discussion when he came back from abroad.

Animals stolen

Little did we know that the sheep would just disappear in the immediate future.

The farmer called 10 days later and informed me we would put on hold further activity for sometime because his 20 sheep and solar generator had vanished.

How his animals were stolen

His farmhand, Moses, had also disappeared and his phone had been switched off.

During my visit to the farm, the area had looked secure, with neighbours appearing fairly well off. They had their animals and minded their own business.

But looks can be deceiving. I recall a security expert who trained me in field programme operations years ago.

He said the character of a person or group is never written on their faces. He stressed that local knowledge gained from keen observation and discrete inquiry is one of the key safeguards for anyone moving into unfamiliar territory. Mbuga called a few days after, reporting the disappearance of his sheep, equipment and worker and happily narrated the recovery of everything, except Moses.  The observation that the neighbours were generally good people was accurate.

Many had witnessed the clearing of Mbuga’s farm; erroneously believing that he had decided to sell off the animals.

Moses had informed the neighbours that Mbuga had given him authority to sell the animals and leave the farm.

However, one neighbour was doubtful and captured the registration number of the vehicle that collected the animals.

That number was the most important piece of information that led to recovery of the sheep. Armed with the number plate, the area police traced it to a lawyer who had a farm in the neighbourhood.

Caught with stolen property, the lawyer directed police to the man in Mbuga’s neighbourhood who had sold him the sheep. The neighbour told police officers that he bought the sheep from Moses.

He added that Mbuga’s employee had disappeared from the farm even before the animals were loaded on the vehicle. His phone was switched off immediately.

Advice to the farmer

The neighbour had bought the animals cheaply from Moses. That should have informed the neighbour that the sale was most likely illicit.

The lawyer also said he had bought the animals at half the market price. Again, he should have been concerned about such a low price for animals in very good body condition.

Luckily for Mbuga, the neighbour who had bought the animals from Moses identified the village “dignified” crook who had vandalised the solar equipment and police officers quickly recovered it.

Police carried out their procedures and released Mbuga’s animals and equipment to him.

Mbuga’s neighbours advised him on how to secure his farm beyond the fencing and lighting. They presented him with a respected young man from the area to replace Moses. The neighbours also pointed out to him suspect elements in the community. Mbuga told me he had finally had an unforgettable experience in the value of local knowledge.

Many farmers and animal buyers tend to ignore the set out procedures in the purchase of livestock because animals are a common and regularly traded. Anyone buying animals should ascertain that they belong to the seller or the seller has verifiable authority to trade in them.

The buyer should verify the authority from the issuer, who must prove to be the legal owner of the animals.

Failure to make such confirmation exposes a buyer to being an accessory to the crime of livestock theft or handling stolen property. Both are felonies that can seriously damage one’s reputation or even lead to arrest and prosecution. Mbuga’s case is still being handled by police and Moses remains at large. My experience and Mbuga’s case is that most farmers take employee search and engagement casually.

It is important to vet any potential worker, do complete documentation and obtain references to get the person to understand that they are fully traceable.